US and EU unveil major gas deal

Washington, Mar 25: US President Joe Biden was meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday to announce a new gas deal as Europe tries to end its reliance on Russian energy. The meeting came on the second day of an European Union leaders summit focused on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Ahead of their talks, both sides unveiled a deal for the US to bring liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe. The EU is experiencing an energy crunch as the war and sanctions against Moscow take their toll.

"We are coming together to reduce Europe's dependency on Russian gas," Biden said in a joint press conference. "We should not subsidize [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's brutal attack on Ukraine."

Von der Leyen called the deal "a big step" towards ending reliance on Moscow for energy. Both leaders hailed the agreement for bringing the US and the EU closer together, and highlighted the fact that a major part of the partnership is ending reliance on fossil fuels altogether in favor of renewable energy.

US to increase LNG exports by 15 billion cubic meters

As part of the plan, the U.S. and other nations will increase LNG exports to Europe by 15 billion cubic meters this year, the White House said. Even larger shipments would be delivered in the future.

Although the initiative will likely require new facilities for importing liquified natural gas, the partnership is also geared toward reducing reliance on fossil fuels in the long run through energy efficiency and alternative sources of energy, according to Biden.

The Commission will also work with EU countries to ensure they can receive about 50 bcm of additional LNG until at least 2030, the factsheet provided by the White House said. A day earlier, Biden had attended an extraordinary NATO summit as well as the EU leaders meeting as Western powers work on a unified response to Russian aggression.

Biden and von der Leyen were also expected to talk about China's potential role in the conflict, as well as the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and future pandemic prevention and preparedness.

After the meeting, Biden was set to head to Poland for the final stop on his visit to Europe. Poland has been on the forefront of receiving refugees from neighboring Ukraine and there are concerns over the conflict nearing the border.

Source: DW